Category Archives: Rug Appraisals and Insurance Claims

An Oriental rug that has sustained smoke and soot damage caused by fire

Nejad Rugs has been contracted by a prominent Bucks County PA businessman to wash and repair 40 smoke damaged Oriental Rugs. The client, working with his insurance company, trusts Nejad Rugs’ 31 years of experience to expertly service his rugs.

In the handling of such a formidable job, remediation of both visible soot as well as the various types of odors
from smoke damage due to fire requires the application of careful, stepwise methods using proven techniques – but most importantly the judgement and experience of a qualified Oriental rug expert. The restoration process for
each damaged textile can vary depending upon the extent and type of damage.

It is important not to attempt to wash or deoderize a smoke-damaged rug as the first course of action. Deoderizing will only mask the odor (wood fires, plastic fires, other synthetics odors) and will be effective –
if at all – for a short time only. Washing, as the first course of action, is also ill-advised as that would only result in spreading soot both into the rug pile as well as smudging the surface.

Fire-related soot and smoke damage to oriental rugs may be repairable. Contact a professional fire restorer and rug restoration service for an expert appraisal.

Money, time and your rugs can best be saved by contacting a professional fire restorer and rug restoration service as soon as possible after any damage has been incurred – this information usually available through your home insurance agent. If you need immediate assistance or have any questions please call Nejad Rugs in Doylestown at 215-348-1255.

Your Oriental Rugs are valuable assets for your family and having the proper written appraisals for your portfolio is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your investment. Whether your Oriental Rugs were handed down from your family or purchased years ago, it is highly advised that you to have your rugs appraised every ten years.

All along the East Coast, we have seen a dramatic increase of insurance claims for home owners with oriental rugs, mostly from weather related water damage. The process for the home owner can go much more smoothly if all of the paperwork is already in place. Current appraisals also provide a more accurate assessment of the insurance coverage needed.

Most of the leading insurance companies have come to rely on Nejad Gallery as the expert Oriental Rug Appraiser in the Bucks County, Philadelphia and New Jersey areas. Chubb, State Farm, Travelers, Erie, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Allied, Hartford and Farmers are just a few of the insurance companies with whom we regularly provide our appraisal services.

In addition to obtaining written appraisals, I recommend to my clients to take photos of all of their insured items and to video tape their home, room by room. An Excel spreadsheet listing each item with the purchase date and price helps keep a detailed catalog of your insured valuables. Scanning appraisals and receipts adds to your proof of purchase and helps the insurance company correctly ascertain replacement values. Keeping an updated offsite back up copy is another safety measure.

Being prepared for unforeseen events takes a bit of effort but the peace of mind and well being for you and your family is definitely worth the undertaking. Please call 215-348-1255, we will be happy to assist you with all your Oriental Rug Appraisal needs.